His baby
by Melbones
Summary: An AU where Alex is the father of Claire's baby. The missing period while Claire was in hospital after her fall will be covered
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own McCleods Daughters or the characters.

Story Description: An AU where BOM is Alex's baby. This will have the missing moments from when Claire was hospitalised after her fall from the horse and continue on until the birth.

 **His Baby.**

Alex watched Claire be lifted into the ambulance, the pallor of her face alarming him. His heart was racing in his chest and he almost missed what Tess had said as they loaded her in. _Claire was pregnant. It's mine,_ were his first thoughts. He looked at Claire who was struggling to maintain consciousness and when their eyes connected he could see she was pleading for him to say it was his. _Well it's definitely not that other bastards,_ he thought.

"It's mine" he said simply to the others, looking Peter Johnson in the eyes and daring him to say different. Alex knew Claire had slept with Peter once after their break up. There was a possibility the kid was the dickhead's but in his heart he knew when this baby was conceived.

 _6 weeks earlier._

 _Claire had come to him devastated after watching Peter with his daughters. He knew better than anyone that she could never take him away from his daughters, not after Ruth had left with Tess, and how abandoned she had felt by the woman she was beginning to accept as a mother._

 _He was meant to only be comforting her, but his heart welled with anger at what that bastard was doing to her. He could see how much Claire loved the man, he couldn't understand it, but he knew how deeply his friend felt and how much she was holding inside, afraid to let anyone witness her devastation. One moment he was holding her in his arms, keeping her safe from her demons, the next he was kissing her and she wasn't pushing him away. Before they knew it they were lost in a moment of passion neither of them would ever forget. He had never felt like this before in his entire life and he knew in that moment, he would never love anyone like he loved Claire._

 _When he woke the next morning, she was gone and he didn't blame her. He felt like he had taken advantage of her grief, he hadn't meant to go that far. He tried talking to Claire about it a few times after that but she stubbornly refused to talk to him about it. They were mates and for now that was all she could give him._

Alex was so deep in thought he nearly didn't hear Tess call out to him and ask if he wanted to go with her to the hospital. He shook off his memories and headed to the Drover's ute and got in beside Tess, too shaken to contemplate driving. If he drove they'd have an accident in his rush to be by Claire's side.

"Are you okay Alex?" Tess asked. Alex had looked shocked and not completely present after he'd told everyone that he was the father of Claire's baby. Tess couldn't figure out if there was any truth to his words. Claire would have told her if they'd slept together, she was sure of that.

"Yeah, just anxious to get to the hospital and see if Claire is okay" Alex answered, his heart was still racing and he wanted more than anything to push Tess to start the car and stop asking questions so they could get there faster. Nothing could happen to Claire and their baby now. They still didn't know how badly injured Claire was, and he knew it was still early with the pregnancy, she could miscarry easily.

He couldn't concentrate on anything Tess was saying during the trip to the hospital. He just issued non-committal grunts in response to the conversation, gripping the edge of the dashboard hard as he thought of the woman he loved and the last moment he saw her.

Once they arrived he strode up to the admission desk and asked if Claire's ambulance had arrived. The nurse told him she'd been admitted to surgery immediately, due to the bleeding and the severity of the break in her leg. The wait for any word on Claire was torture and he snapped at Tess a few times while she tried to distract him with conversation, feeling bad because he knew she was just as worried.

Finally a doctor started walking towards them and they both stood, both feeling nervous at what the doctor would reveal to them.

"Claire's family?" The doctor called and then waved them into a room where they could talk privately.

"How is she" Both Alex and Tess asked in unison, their hearts racing as they thought of Claire and the baby.

"My name is Dr Warton, Claire's leg was badly broken by the weight of the horse, we've had to put it in traction and she will be in traction for quite a while unfortunately, she lost a lot of blood, so when you see her she will be very weak and might only be awake for a few minutes before falling asleep" Dr Warton warned them.

"And the baby?" Alex asked, knowing Claire would be devastated if she lost it.

"The baby is doing well, although we are monitoring her very closely, she is still in the early stages of pregnancy and even in normal cases, the risk of miscarriage is still greater at this stage" Dr Warton answered watching both of them carefully for any signs of distress or shock. Often the relatives or witnesses of accidents as bad as Claire's were prone to delayed shock once they are told their loved one would be okay.

"But she's going to be okay?" Tess asked, just wanting to know her sister was going to be okay and wanting desperately to see her sister.

"She will eventually, the leg injury is going to take some time to heal and with the pregnancy it will be a little harder for her to recover from, she's going to need you both while she heals" Dr Warton told them and then lead them to Claire's room. She was still in ICU due to the blood loss and looked very pale when they both sat at opposite sides of the bed. They each took one of her hands and both had to blink back tears at the sight of her.

"Try not to strain her, she needs to be able to rest, if she needs anything for the pain just push the call button and we'll make sure she is comfortable" Dr Warton told them smiling at the love both of them were showing towards his patient.

"Is that okay for the baby?" Tess asked, suddenly wondering how the pain medication could be effecting the baby.

"I've put her on pain medication that is safe to use for a pregnant woman, she will be in more pain than any other patient would because we can't give her too much of it, but we will do our best to ensure she is comfortable during her stay here, which will likely be a couple of months" Dr Warton told them.

"I'll be back to check on her in a couple of hours, if you are concerned about anything at all please, don't hesitate to push the call button" Dr Warton advised them and then walked out of the room leaving them both looking at Claire, clear concern on their faces.

They sat there for a while not saying anything, just watching Claire's face for signs she would be waking soon. They both smiled when they heard a groan and then Claire's eyes began to open.

"God what happened?" Claire croaked as she finally managed to open her eyes. She looked at both Alex and Tess and saw the worry on her face and then looked down at her stomach as she remembered the baby.

"The baby!" She exclaimed and tears sprung to her eyes as she remembered that it was her stupid insistence on riding the Stockman's challenge that had endangered her pregnancy. As she shifted her leg began to throb and she bit back a gasp at the pain.

"Claire, calm down the baby is fine, you're a bit banged up but you are going to be fine" Alex told her, seeing the pain in her eyes and wishing he could take it away.

"My leg" Claire said, still trying to breathe deeply to gain control of the pain she was feeling, her leg felt like it was on fire.

"It's a bit worse for ware and you are going to be in here for a while, but the main thing is that you are alive Claire, both you and the baby are going to be fine, Alex and I will see to that" Tess told her, kissing her cheek and brushing away a few tear drops that had slid down Claire's face. She watched her sister grimace in pain and silently looked at Alex to see if they should call for the nurse. His answering look told her to wait it out and see if Claire asked for something, knowing she wouldn't want to endanger the baby.

"I think I want to-" Claire said groggily as she slipped off to sleep again mid-sentence as the pain and the anaesthetic that was still in her system made staying awake impossible.

"Sleep Claire, Alex and I will be here to watch over you" Tess said trying to smile reassuringly at Alex, while her mind was whirling on how they were going to cope over the next couple of months without Claire at Drovers.

They sat there silently, both lost in their own thoughts until Nick appeared at Claire's hospital room door, a bunch of flowers in his arms. He looked at the woman he thought of as his sister and had once considered marrying and his heart broke at how frail she looked in that bed, with her leg propped up and her face paler than he'd ever seen it.

"She's going to be okay Nick" Tess reassured him as he came and sat in the spare chair in the room unable to take his eyes of Claire to acknowledge what Tess had said. When he'd heard what had happened he'd been terrified for Claire, and it brought back memories of what had happened to him when he'd fell off that bull.

"And the baby? Dad told me" Nick said still unable to take his eyes of Claire to be able to see either of Alex or Tess' reactions.

"They will both be fine in time, Claire will be in hospital for months, god Claire in hospital for months, she's going to go insane" Tess giggled softly.

"I will not" Claire said smiling a little as she woke again to her sister's teasing.

"I know what inactivity does to you Claire McCleod, you are going to be a bear to put up with" Tess said seeing her sisters smile and glad that the pain seemed to have lessoned in the time she'd been asleep.

"You need to take it easy and do everything the doctors tell you for yours and the baby's sake" Tess told her knowing her sister would struggle with the inactivity.

"Yes mum" Claire responded still struggling to feel awake. She knew it was normal to feel this way after what she'd just been through.

"Before I fall asleep again can you tell me how bad my leg is?" Claire asked knowing she probably wasn't going to like what she heard and she was right. After listening to Tess recite what the doctor had told them she knew she was going to have a struggle on her hands to be able to get back in the saddle. By the time she could she'd be showing and she didn't know how that added weight would affect her ability to ride.

"Don't worry Claire I'll help Tess and the girls run Drovers you just concentrate on getting well, Tess we should let Claire sleep" Alex suggested thinking of how long a road ahead they had and where he would fit in.

"Okay Claire we'll go get something to eat and we'll be back when you are awake" Tess told Claire bending down to kiss her gently on the cheek.

"Rest Claire" Alex said as he squeezed her hand and gently brushed her hair behind her ear. He wanted so much to kiss her and rejoice in the knowledge that she was carrying his child but he knew the guesture wouldn't be welcomed just yet.

Alex and Tess walked quietly out of Claire's hospital room looking back to see that she had already succumbed to sleep, both completely wiped by the events of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own McCleods Daughters or the characters.

 **3 days later**

"Claire what are you doing?" Tess asked angrily as she walked into Claire's hospital room.

"My back was hurting lying on the bed, I just wanted to see if I could sit up, it might help" Claire answered moodily. Her stomach was revolting on her and the last thing she wanted was to argue with her sister about whether she should sit up or not.

"Are you okay Claire you look a little pale" Tess said beginning to recognise the signs that morning sickness was plaguing her sister. Claire always went really pale before she threw up. One of the many reasons she was never getting pregnant.

"Not really, can you hand me that bag quickly" Claire asked, knowing she only had a few moments before the nausea overcame her. Tess handed her the bag and she groaned as she began to throw up. She didn't have much in her stomach so there wasn't much to come out but she felt better once it was over.

"Ugh, I am never doing this" Tess said laughing as she tried to cheer her sister up. She knew that being pregnant on top of Claire's injuries must be a big pain in the ass. Thankfully the morning sickness didn't seem to be too bad, so far only making Claire throw up a few times, but she knew that wasn't the end of the problems pregnancy could cause.

"Thank god I have a catheter in, between throwing up and needing to pee every 5 minutes I'd be stuffed if I didn't" Claire said, trying to look on the bright side of things, knowing it made Tess feel better. It was definitely better than a bed pan. Claire couldn't bare the indignity of that.

"Yeah I don't know if I could handle that either, it must be uncomfortable" Tess remarked happy to see her sister seemed to be feeling a bit better.

"Everything is uncomfortable at the moment Tess" Claire told her, and she wasn't exaggerating. Not being able to get out of bed due to her leg was causing her a lot of discomfort. The bed wasn't very comfortable and having her leg in traction meant she couldn't lie on her side or her stomach. She didn't know how much longer she could stand having to sleep on her back.

"I know, did the doctor say how much longer your leg would be in traction?" Tess asked feeling for her sister. Claire hated being unable to do anything and lying on her back all the time must be a pain.

"Doc's coming to see me this afternoon, hopefully I'll know then" Claire asked wondering if Alex would come today, they were meant to be doing another ultrasound of the baby to make sure everything was still going okay and that she wasn't haemorrhaging anywhere. She'd seen Alex once or twice since the accident and it had been awkward each time. Neither of them knew what to say to each other. Since Alex had claimed that the baby was his, Claire had wanted nothing but that to be true. She wanted to talk to her doctor about doing a DNA test, if she could rule Peter out as the father, then that would mean she wouldn't have to have anything else to do with the man. _Does Alex want to be a father?_ Was the big question, one Claire didn't have an answer to. The only thing she knew was that she was keeping this baby and if she had to go it alone she would.

"Is Alex coming?" Tess asked, she was curious about Alex's claim that he was the father of Claire's baby. She knew Alex would do anything for Claire if she asked, but there was something there and she had no idea how to ask Claire about it.

"I don't know, he hasn't called" Claire answered a little despondently. She wanted Alex to be here and if she was honest with herself she needed him here. Alex was her best friend and while she knew this baby was going to change everything between them, she needed her best friend by her side.

"Claire, about what Alex said" Tess said unsure how to continue.

"It's true, Alex could be the father" Claire answered. The last thing she wanted right now was for there to be secrets between her and Tess. She was glad Tess had brought it up, it was an awkward situation and she didn't know if Tess would be unhappy with her for sleeping with Alex, despite the obvious feelings Tess had for Nick.

"Wow, I knew you two were close, but I didn't think you were interested in him in that way" Tess said not sure how to feel about Claire's revelation.

"Just like with Peter, it was one stupid night, after I saw Peter with his daughter's I was devastated I couldn't go back to Drovers, I didn't know what to say to everyone I'd been so stupid" Claire said thinking back to that night.

"I bumped into Alex and we had a few drinks as I poured my feelings out to him, I don't know he was so supportive and I looked at him and saw more than I'd seen before, one thing led to another and well" Claire said indicating to her stomach.

"The next morning we both agreed it was a mistake and that we wouldn't go there again, neither of us wanted to destroy our friendship, but this baby well it changes everything" Claire said sadly, the stupidity of this situation making tears well up in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay Claire, Alex is a good guy I know he'll be there for you" Tess said as she gently put her arms around her sister wishing she could make this whole mess go away. If she really thought hard about this, Alex was good for Claire and Claire was good for him. Just as they had done well with their business partnership, Tess thought they'd do well in a personal relationship too, if they could get past the need to protect their friendship.

"I'm going to ask the doctor if we can do a DNA test, in my heart I know this baby is Alex's but if I can get Peter out of my life forever it would help" Claire said saddened that the man she had once loved had changed so much they couldn't even be friends.

"I think that's a good idea Claire, then you will know for sure" Alex said as he walked into the room. He'd been unsure of coming today, but his desire to be there for Claire had won out over his insecurities. He wanted to tell Claire that it didn't matter who the father of the baby was, he would be the father if that was what Claire wanted.

"Alex, I'm so glad you came" Claire said as she looked up at the man she had come to love completely unexpectedly. How does your best friend, a man you've known your whole life suddenly become someone you don't think you could live without.

"I wanted to make sure everything was okay with you and the bub" Alex said feeling a little self-conscious. He'd wanted to stay away, let Tess support Claire but he just couldn't keep away. He knew Claire didn't need the stress of who the father of her baby was hanging over her head right now and he wanted her to know it didn't matter to him, he'd be there no matter what.

"Well the doc should be here sometime this afternoon, they are going to do an ultrasound you can stay for that if you want" Claire told him hoping he'd say yes. The last time she'd had one she was afraid to look at the screen worried the baby wouldn't look normal or worse that she'd lost it. It was only Tess exclaiming from excitement that got her to look up at the screen and from that moment she had been entranced by the little heart beat on the screen.

"Great, I'll make myself useful and go get you ladies something to drink" Alex said as he got up and went to go for the door.

"Ginger ale for this one, it's the only thing that helps" Tess told Alex torn between wanting to go with him to see how he was really doing and being with Claire. She knew she needed to head back to Drovers soon, Becky and Meg couldn't keep things going on their own forever, but she was still having nightmares about Claire's accident and didn't want to go until she knew Claire and the baby were going to be okay.

"Righto" Alex said as he walked out and headed for the cafeteria. He needed some time to work out what he was going to say to Claire to convince her that he wanted to be the father of her baby even if the baby wasn't biologically his. He loved Claire. That had become glaringly apparent the moment he'd seen her unconscious on the ground her leg crushed from her horse. In that moment he knew he'd never survive losing her. It was his fear that he'd lost her that had made him push Peter knowing somehow the knob had been the one to cause the accident.

"I told you Alex would be here for you, I think he feels more for you than he admits" Tess said looking at her sister for her reaction.

"We're mates, Alex doesn't love me" Claire said sadly. All her life she'd seen Alex run from one girl to another, never sticking with any of them long term. In a lot of ways he was like Tess both afraid to commit to loving someone forever.

"You didn't see his face when you were lying on the ground unconscious, he would have killed Peter if he wasn't so worried about you" Tess said not wanting to push things too much, but Claire needed to know that Alex cared for her a lot more than he'd let on.

"We've been friends since we were kids, we grew up together I'd feel the same if it had been him lying there" Claire said not wanting to believe that Alex did love her. She'd just had her heart crushed by one man and she didn't know if she could take it happening again.

"Okay, I won't push but Claire please for me try to stay open to possibilities, don't let what happened with Peter close your heart" Tess asked guessing correctly why Claire was reluctant to see that Alex loved her.

"I'm tired, I think I might try and get a nap in while we wait for the doctor" Claire said and she was, it had crept up on her as they conversed. She knew she was avoiding answering Tess, but she knew she needed to sleep when she felt tired, for the baby's sake and her own recovery.

"Okay, I'll help you lie down again" Tess said knowing she wasn't going to get an agreement from Claire, she just hoped that as Claire's pregnancy progressed it would bring her closer to Alex, especially if he was the baby's father.

A few hours later and Claire was awoken by Tess letting her know the doctor was here. Claire looked around and her eyes met Alex's with a shy smile, thankful he was still here.

"Okay Claire, we will need to take you down to radiology so we can take some x-rays of your leg and do the ultrasound, how is the pain so far?" Dr Warton asked hoping his patient would be honest with him.

"Well I definitely feel it when the drugs wear off" Claire said knowing it was best to be honest about the pain. She wouldn't risk the baby on something as stupid as pride.

"On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is the pain when the painkillers have worn off?" Dr Warton asked, he was hoping to be able wean her off the stronger medication soon, both for her sake and the baby's.

"I'd say about a 7" Claire answered honestly.

"Okay we'll keep you on the same dosage for the next couple of days, but I would like to try lowering the dosage after that, now onto the baby any cramps or bleeding?" Dr Warton asked. He was really rooting for this baby to stick, he could tell how much Claire wanted to be a mother and knew she'd be devastated if she lost the baby.

"None, just that pesky morning sickness and the need to pee all the time" Claire answered grimacing at the thought of her symptoms.

"Well that's very good to hear, remember the morning sickness is a sign that the pregnancy is progressing well, now Alex as the baby's father you are more than welcome to come with us for the ultrasound, you too Tess" Dr Warton said smiling at the relieved look on Alex's face.

"Thanks doc" Alex said, excitement beginning to build at the thought of seeing the baby for the first time.

"Okay Claire we'll get some orderlies up to take you down to radiology, unfortunately with your leg in traction we can't put you in a wheelchair" Dr Warton advised knowing Claire would rather not have to be lying down, he knew she was struggling with being confined to the bed.

A couple of hours later they were back in Claire's room. The ultrasound had gone well with all three of them having tears in their eyes as they watched the baby move on the screen and the doctor had told them the baby looked very healthy. Claire wasn't haemorrhaging in any way and it looked like the baby was none the worse from the accident.

"Now Claire even though everything seems to be okay with the baby your risk of miscarriage is still significantly higher in the first trimester than at any other time so you do need to take it easy, sleep when you feel tired, eat when you don't feel nauseous that kind of stuff" Claire's doctor told her.

"Thank you Dr Warton, I will do my best" Claire said knowing she meant it. She may not want this baby to change her life but that didn't mean she wouldn't do everything to ensure her baby was safe.

"And how long will Claire's leg need to be in traction, she's been getting very uncomfortable sleeping on her back" Tess asked knowing Claire was going to be in hospital for a long time and helping her gain some comfort back would help.

"Probably another week just to make sure the leg is setting well and then you'll have a full length cast up to your thigh which will be uncomfortable too, but you should be able to lie on your side" Dr Warton advised them.

"I'll also be putting you on some tablets to ensure you don't get any blood clots due to the greater risk of thrombosis due to early pregnancy and being in a sitting position all the time and we'll keep you on the current dosage for your pain management" Dr Warton told them. He knew Claire was concerned about the amount of medication she was being given but he knew that the risks of her dying from a blood clot were far greater than any risk to the baby from the medication he was prescribing her.

"More pills!" Claire exclaimed concerned for the baby with the amount of medication she was taking.

"Until you are through the first trimester we need to make sure you don't die from a blood clot, and the amount of stress pain causes a growing foetus has been known to cause miscarriages, I am just looking out for you and the bub" Dr Warton told her. He had expected her reaction and was happy to see how concerned for the baby she was. Everything in him told him Claire was going to be a good mother, they just needed to help her not be so stubborn when it came to her own health.

"Alright, but as soon as I'm dealing with the pain better I want my medication reduced" Claire told him, she could handle the pain, she didn't know if she could handle losing the baby.

"Noted now do me a favour and rest, your body will heal better with rest" Dr Walton told her as he walked out of the room shaking his head.

"I agree with him Claire, for both of your sakes you need to do what he says and rest" Tess told Claire as she helped her lie down again. She could see clearly how tired Claire was and hoped she wouldn't fight her on this.

"Ok a nap sounds good right about now" Claire said as she yawned loudly and let her body succumb to sleep. Within minutes her breathing deepened and Alex and Claire both smiled as her hand automatically moved to cradle the baby as she slept.

"It's going to be a long few months" Tess said as she and Alex walked out if Claire's room towards the cafeteria. They needed nourishment and coffee if they were going to get through the next few hours.


End file.
